


Here's hoping

by celestialuna



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: A more reasonable ending for Philinda, F/M, Melinda May is not toastersexual, Phil Coulson is still in love with Melinda May, Philinda closure, Philmd, SHIELD Academy, slight philindaisy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-16
Updated: 2020-08-16
Packaged: 2021-03-05 19:08:00
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,289
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25930336
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/celestialuna/pseuds/celestialuna
Summary: A year after defeating Nathaniel Malick and the Chronicoms, the team “meet up” and Phil can’t help the lingering eyes, the warm smile on his face when he sees her.
Relationships: Phil Coulson & Melinda May & Skye | Daisy Johnson, Phil Coulson/Melinda May
Comments: 1
Kudos: 52





	Here's hoping

**Author's Note:**

> Thought this up while listening to If the world was ending by JP Saxe and Julia Michaels cause the lyrics went, "It's been a year now, think I figured out how, how to let you go and let communication die out."

He’s the first to arrive. excitement getting the best of him and as soon as the clock ticked 3 in the afternoon, he put on his device that would bring him to the room where he’d see them all again. It’s been a year since they fought side by side and a lot had happened after that; Fitzsimmons retired, Mack and Elena are leading their respective teams and when they’re not busy on missions, they retreat to their own house for some peace and quiet together. _Daisy,_ she was happy; she got her sister and Sousa has not left her side since. Every one of his team, his family, was happy and that was all he could’ve dreamed of for all of them after everything that they’ve been through. Daisy comes into view, a smile appearing on her face. “Hey AC.” She greets him.

Before he can even remark about her hair, another voice joins them, “Hey you two.”

Melinda May lets a smile grace her face and Phil can’t help but watch as she sits on the chair next to him, his eyes lingering a while longer to look at her face. No bruises, no bloody lips. He’d become so used to having to patch her up after each mission that this felt like a dream to him. Her shield uniform was replaced with a white polo shirt and slacks, though she still wore a leather jacket in place of a coat. He likes to think that the leather jacket is a part of who she is, a piece from her past that acts as a reminder of what was. 

It only lasted 5 minutes tops, they all had their respective duties to attend to and he respected that. He obviously wants more time, more time to talk with his family but knew better than to ask for more than what he bargained for. Mack, Elena, Fitz, and Simmons had already disconnected, only the three of them stayed back a little while longer. Daisy drums her fingers on her lap, “I should get going. We’re losing signal anyway.”

Phil nods his head, “Stay safe out there, Daisy.” He says with genuine concern. Daisy looks to him then to May, “You know I will, _Dad._ ” She adds it in jokingly but in her heart, that was what Phil was to her. He was more than a director or an agent, He was the closest thing to a father that she had.

Daisy takes in the sight of the two people who’ve given her the chance at a better life, better than being the hacker activist she once was, better than being just Quake the destroyer of worlds. She doesn’t want to leave them now but knows that she has no other choice, “You two take care, okay?”

May nods, “Come back home soon.”

Daisy looks at the both of them for a while and then disconnects. Now there’s only the two of them left.

Melinda looks at his face, “You haven’t aged.” She teases.

“Oh, very funny, Melinda. You’re one to talk.”

Their laughs both die down, the room becoming silent with just the two of them smiling and looking at each other. Melinda is the first to tear her eyes away from the growing tension between them, “So, you’re planning to travel?”

“There are some places I’d like to see.” He smiles.

“When you’re done with your sabbatical, I could use you. the recruits would love to hear some of your stories.”

“Oh. You mean how I’ve died like 7 times and am still here but as an LMD now?”

“You know that’s not what I meant.” She puts a hand gently on his knee, “We had to make sacrifices. And _you,_ you made the biggest one to save the world, Phil.”

“ _He_ did.”

She nods her head, “ _He_ made the objective decision because we couldn’t.”

“You didn’t want to let him go.”

“and it was selfish. At that moment, I didn’t care about what would happen to the world, I just wanted to save him. I wanted more time with him,” she pauses for a second, taking in a deep breath, “I just wanted him to stay alive.”

The way her eyes go teary does not go unnoticed to Phil as he brings his chair closer to hers, putting his arm around her, “He loved you. so much that it made leaving you behind the hardest thing he had to do.”

“I know. But now, I’d like to think that I haven’t entirely lost him.” She looks towards him with a smile, “I have you. You aren’t Phil Coulson, not the man I loved, not even real.” His heart – if he even has one, feels like it’s being stabbed with each fact she puts out. “But you have his face and his memories and you still know me better than anyone else, you’re still my friend.” She adds with a soft smile.

This is what they were now. They were each other’s support system. They were back to where their history all started – as friends. He encompasses everything that the real Phil felt for May; the love, the need to protect her, the desire to always be by her side.

One year apart is enough, Phil thinks. and hearing May say that she has not entirely lost Phil because of his existence is the best gift he could’ve ever asked for. Because it meant that his existence did not physically pain her but rather gave her comfort in knowing that a part of her best friend still lived on to be her voice of reason. He loves her, or maybe it was programmed into him because of their past. But he knew that the love May had to offer him now was nothing more than platonic, because she’s had her time with Phil, they had their great love story in the short time that the universe allowed for them to have. She’s done reminiscing about a love that could’ve been and is moving towards a future where he stays as her friend, and that was enough.

“I’ve made up my mind.”

She takes a deep breath, “about what?”

Melinda thinks of the worst, that maybe he’s done reassessing and has decided to turn off.

“I think I recall you offering me just a few minutes ago a position at your Academy.”

“Phil, you don’t have to make this decision now.”

“I already have. I’m making the decision that feels right to me. That I think He would’ve made. Isn’t it just like him to choose to be by your side if he had the choice?”

She smiles at him, “He hated being alone.”

“He and I both don’t like the idea of leaving you alone.” There’s a smile on both of their faces as he says this. It was the truth. Phil Coulson, LMD or not, wouldn’t make the decision to leave her alone. After everything that has happened, after all the years she closed herself off in that small desk in the office. She deserves to have someone by her side to laugh at all the foolish things the recruits do or reminisce about the things they’d done together as partners out on the field. They deserved, they wanted to be by each other’s side. It was the most natural thing for the both of them to gravitate towards each other like there was an invisible string that tied them together.

“I should go now. I have a group waiting for me.” She pats his knee and looks to him with a smile on her face. “Here’s hoping to see you after your travels, Phil.”

 _“Here's hoping for the best.”_ He offers with his own smile.

**Author's Note:**

> A bit similar from my previous work but regardless, hope you like it!


End file.
